Re-Thinking the Christian Worldview

October 28, 2013

Thankfulness. An essential to spiritual development

I know it's early, but I thought I'd get a jump start on a month of Thankfulness.

I've been going through a study with a group of guys on what it means to live more like Jesus. We're reading through a book called the Good and Beautiful God: Falling in Love with the God Jesus Knows by James Bryan Smith. It's really interesting as we seek to take an intentional purposeful look at what it means to see God in a different way. It's not a self help type of work as much as it's a call to "do" spiritual journeyman things.

The first couple of chapters talked about physical health, sleep, and meditation. Last night I read a chapter on Thankfulness, thus the article this morning has been peculating in my head for a few hours.

Smith makes a point to position our own spiritual life in a place where we can be most understanding of how to respond to God's voice in our life. Giving practical tools, it's been amazing in my own spiritual life to practice some of the things Smith recommends. Today, it's being thankful.

Smith goes to great lengths to point out, we can't simply think about being thankful, but rather; we need to be pro-active and intentional in our thankfulness. He even goes so far to write, "you need to journal the things you're thankful for."

So today, I'm thankful:

I'm thankful for my beautiful wife.I'm thankful for my children.I'm thankful for the time I get to spend with each one learning how to encourage their gifts.I'm thankful for Colorado.I'm thankful for the air I breathe today.I'm thankful for life.I'm thankful for long bike rides in the mountains.I'm thankful for friends.I'm thankful for hope, faith, and a place to make a difference in the world.I'm thankful for KIVU.I'm thankful for a board of directors who believes in what we're trying to do with global teenagers.I'm thankful for the sun out today.I'm thankful for people who take the time to listen well.I'm thankful for.....

I could go on and on, but the point is, when I write this stuff down, I hope you might too. What are you thankful for today? Take 10 minutes out of your busy schedule and sit down, write it out (I know men don't like to do this very much) and make sure it's not digital. Take some good old fashioned paper and pen/pencil and contemplate on what you're thankful for today. You'll be AMAZED at what you can come up with. I'm already a legal page in, and I've got lots more to go.